The ZenFone 3 Zoom picks up where the first one left off. The second gen camera phone from ASUS comes with a zoom setup similar to that of the iPhone 7 Plus — using two lenses to provide two focal lengths. Combine that with the new Zen design, a huge battery, an AMOLED display, and a good price, it looks like we have the makings of a compelling device.

Special thanks to ASUS PHILIPPINES for loaning the phone for a couple of weeks.

Zenfone 3 Zoom Specs

Weight (g)

170.00

Battery capacity (mAh)

5000

Removable battery

No

Colours

Navy Black, Glacier Silver

DISPLAY

Screen size (inches)

5.50

Touchscreen

Yes

Resolution

1080×1920 pixels

HARDWARE

Processor

2GHz octa-core

Processor make

Qualcomm Snapdragon 625

RAM

4GB

Internal storage

32GB

Expandable storage

Yes

Expandable storage type

microSD

Expandable storage up to (GB)

2000

CAMERA

Rear camera

12-megapixel

Flash

Yes

Front camera

13-megapixel

SOFTWARE

Operating System

Android 6.0

Skin

ZenUI 3.0

CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi

Yes

Wi-Fi standards supported

802.11 b/g/n

GPS

Yes

Bluetooth

Yes

NFC

No

Infrared

No

USB OTG

No

Headphones

3.5mm

FM

No

Number of SIMs

2

SIM 1

SIM Type

Nano-SIM

GSM/CDMA

GSM

3G

Yes

4G/ LTE

Yes

Supports 4G in India (Band 40)

Yes

SIM 2

SIM Type

Nano-SIM

GSM/CDMA

GSM

3G

Yes

4G/ LTE

Yes

Supports 4G in India (Band 40)

Yes

SENSORS

Compass/ Magnetometer

No

Proximity sensor

Yes

Accelerometer

Yes

Ambient light sensor

Yes

Gyroscope

Yes

Barometer

No

Temperature sensor

No

Zenfone 3 Zoom Review – Physical Components

First thing we have to talk about is how sleek and light this smartphone is. The phone itself is sleek enough to easily slide into your pocket, not to mention fit in it perfectly.

No metal for this smartphone but we do get a serviceable plastic that’s scratch resistant with all the right curves at the right places. It’s such a treat to carry around and operate.

Every bit looks classy too; from the dual camera at the back to the front.

Going into this Zenfone 3 Zoom review, I had an Asus Zenfone 2 and you can definitely feel the difference in terms of input. The volume control from the previous generation was located at the back. This new Zoom gets design and aesthetics right and placed the buttons on the side, much like all the other current gen smartphones.

The power button which was on the top part of the phone has been moved to the side as well a few inches below the volume control. I’m ok with that as it limits finger effort to a minimal. It’s better now to operate the Zenfone 3 Zoom using just one hand.

Another change for the Zenfone 3 Zoom is the change of USB charger. Previous Zenfone models came out of the box with the standard USB charger but for this new version of the Zoom, we get a Type-C USB. Personally, I feel like this makes it hard to charge the phone. It kinda became a hassle in cases where I leave home and neglected to bring the charger. On the flipside, it charges quite fast. For such a complex phone I am also surprised at how long the phone managed to stay on standby mode connected to the wifi at home and constantly updating apps via Google Play.

The phone’s built-in speakers and the headphone jack is also placed at the bottom of the phone. That’s however would be a buyer preference, worked totally fine for me while doing this Zenfone 3 Zoom review.

Zenfone 3 Zoom Review – Performance

The Zenfone 3 Zoom comes with bad ass internal specs. In fact, I remember this was one of the selling points when it was launched weeks ago. It wasn’t just a photographer friendly smartphone, it was also gamer friendly. Without bias, it definitely can kick ass in both aspects.

Zenfone 3 Zoom Review – Camera

Took A LOT of photos with the Zenfone 3 Zoom for this review and I was definitely pleased with the output. Thanks to the latest version of Pixelmaster, we’re definitely getting good quality photos both in regular and “zoomed-in” mode.

Also if you abhor using the flash, the Zenfone 3 Zoom does good with their lowlight setting; much like how it was with the Zenfone 2.

Zenfone 3 Zoom Review – Verdict

For a 5.5 inch phone, the Zenfone 3 Zoom sure packs a whallop. It’s a phone that has everything you’ll need. I’m not too keen on the price for the phone but that’s just me. The zooming capacity for the phone is nothing short of gorgeous, however you’ll have to forgive the device if gives you pixelated photos from time to time. It’s an almost perfect device and had I more money to burn for phones, this would probably be my go-to smartphone everytime I leave the house.